


Common Ground

by NostalgicNerd



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Pure stuff, Work In Progress, miragehound, the understand each other so bless
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2019-11-06 04:24:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17932775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NostalgicNerd/pseuds/NostalgicNerd
Summary: The next season of the games is starting soonElliott and Bloodhound have gotten close over the past few seasonsClose enough that the mysterious hunter has shown their face one or two timesThere's just a few things they don't quite get yet about each other(mostly proofread)*Unlikely to add newer characters because I haven't played the game in some time (all characters that may be mentioned are the original eight)





	1. Who Is Bloodhound?

**Author's Note:**

> The first part is just a backstory/headcanon I have for Bloodhound  
> This way we can be on somewhat equal footing in further parts of the story whenever Bloodhound is mentioned (which will be a lot of times of course)

“The wind is different outside… something changed in you,” A woman accused, her back turned toward her victim. 

An ambiguous figure sat slumped near a doorway, pale face tinged with sweat. A fresh and bleeding scar clawed at the pale figure’s right eye, at least at the area where their right eye should have been. A calm hum sounded from their lips, their hand reaching up and ruffling through the choppy, mousy brown hair which sat in somewhat stiff with blood atop their head. 

“You can’t keep going out like this. You make me worry you know! Father is gone and now you insist that you should go on hunts,” the woman continued to work at the animal she’d been handed, not turning back to face her sibling.

“We need the food… and also the money,” they spoke slowly, an easy tone to their voice.

“Do you hear yourself, Alex? Learning to kill just for us. It’s sweet, but totally unnecessary,” She scolded them, finally turning around, cloth in hand. “And look at you. You always had such sharp eyes, and now you can’t see.”

Alex grunted, hiding the pain of water on a wound. “It was worth it. We have to do these sorts of things. Unless-”

“No! I told you how I feel about those games. I will only worry more, and if I go gray before you do…” 

“Then you’ll be old?” Alex grinned up at their sister who gave them a scowl. “Forgive me, sister. I have to go to the Games now, the Allfather wills it to be so.”

Alex’s sister paused in her treating of their wounds. “The Allfather? You met him?”

“No, but I talked with him. He has said many valuable things to me. You have to trust me, this will be the best decision for us. We’ll get money for livings and hopefully I will please the Allfather.” 

“Then this is the change I sensed in you,” she sighed and set the bloodied cloth down. “If the Allfather wills it then you should go. But nobody should know. What if they-”

“I am not worried about insults. It will mean nothing when we are in the middle of battle.”

“Still. I will make you something. We’ll hide your face. You have the Allfather’s blessing,” she said, gently prodding at Alex’s right eye, “It’s special, only a special person should get to see it. And your name. Will you enter as Alex?”

“And give them that power? I won’t. I will go by… Bloodhound.”

“You’ll strike fear right into their hearts!”

“They will be scared, but it will be their time.Fate waits for no one.” They stopped talking for a moment, glancing toward their sister. Even knowing Alex would have protection from the gods, she was nervous for them and it showed. “I will use my hunting skills and I know the Allfather watches me. I will do my best,” Alex assured. “I'll come home with our rewards.”

“And unscathed?”

“Perhaps a few scars.”

The sister's lips quirked up into a smile, sad and proud all at once. “Stay safe.”

“And you, dear sister.”


	2. Do You Even Train Bro?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking about pizza when I wrote this so please bear with me

“Yeah well… next season ‘s soon. Gotta be ready! Pumped! Ya know?”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “And so you’re eating… pizza?”

“Mhm! Always do this. Why? What do uh, what do you do?”

“Nothing.”

“Hah! See! And you’re trying to tell me that i’m… not doing… Nothing?!” Elliott’s eyes looked like they may pop out from how wide they were. Alex did nothing to prepare for the games? But they were Bloodhound, champion four seasons in a row; How could they possibly win by doing nothing?

“Well, mostly. Sometimes I have a council with the Allfather.”

“And that’s it? But you’re a winner! Four times!”

“I was a hunt before. I thought I told you?” Alex said as if that had to be the only explanation for their numerous victories.

Mirage blinked, trying his best not to fall off the rickety old dining chair. He was lucky this place wasn’t so crowded, or else he may not have had the privilege of seeing Bloodhound’s beautiful face. The Icelander’s face had a giant scar blinding their right eye; surely hunting wasn’t the only cause.

“So what? You owe your victories to hunts?”

“And to the Allfather.”

“Surely there’s something… someone else?”

“Do you doubt me, Elliott?”

“No! What? No. I think you’re skilled, and I respect you and all. I just-”

They frowned and it marred their pretty face, angles became sharper. “Why do you talk to me? What are you looking for?” Alex questioned. They wouldn’t complain that someone was willing to talk to them, they thought it was nice and they enjoyed conversation, but they also thought it was a bit odd. Everyone else avoided them, fearing unknown, and Mirage was a popular guy; why wouldn’t he avoid them too? 

“Looking for?”

“You seem like you’re searching for something. Maybe a lost-”

“Er yeah you just um… you remind me of someone,” Elliott admitted sheepishly, so embarrassed he’d interrupted. 

The look on Alex’s face changed quickly. For someone who hid their face behind a mask, they were quite expressive. Their pale features softened, the lighting furthering such a thing. Their blue eyes sparkled like ocean caps. Or maybe Elliott was just imagining all of that. 

“And that scares you? You could just say it. Nothing would surprise me anymore,” Alex stated. This was probably true. After spending so much time with the famed Mirage, Alex had seen and heard a lot of crazy things.

“Yeah well... You know me, making things complicated is what I do,” Elliott responded with a somewhat bitter laugh which Alex humoured by sharing.

“You do it for deception, it’s clever. Try not to feel that way around me, I’m not worth that.”

“Only if you don’t say that. You realize you’re hella cool right? I mean not cooler than me or anything… because you’re  _ way _ cooler but I think uh-” Mirage began to trip over his words. He was a charmer, but sometimes his tongue tied itself into knots and he stuttered or lost track of what he was even trying to say. 

“Slow down,” Alex said, calm as ever while resting a hand over Elliott’s. 

“Right... “ He paused, taking a deep breath, and offering a small smile. “I was thinking that you’re too insecure. You’ve got a pretty face, and you’re good with knives and guns…”

For a moment Bloodhound stared, which worried Mirage. However, there was nothing to truly be alarmed about as Alex was nowhere near upset at Elliot (at least not at the moment). The hunter just couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry and so they ended up doing both. This caused Elliott to give a nervous laugh as he continued to worry that he’d offended Alex or embarrassed himself. 

“Y… you-!” Alex chewed their lip, trying to pull themself together. “Forgive my outburst… I’m not sure I’ve heard that from anyone else before. I am grateful to have heard it from you first.”

“Oh?” A blush began to creep onto Elliott’s face, his laugh going from nervous to joyous. “Oh! Well I’m glad I’m the first too. Not everyone gets the pleasure of seeing your face, huh?”

“Would everyone call it a pleasure?”

“Well they should. It really is.” He seemed to be thinking of something else, perhaps a dream, and Alex didn’t question it. 

The two spent the rest of the evening sitting there at an old table with possibly older, uncomfortable wooden chairs. The subject of the games didn’t come up again, and neither did Alex’s trust in the Allfather (which Elliott really did respect). They still didn’t understand everything about each other, but that was fine, for now they seemed to have all the time in the world together. So long as the games continued to stay out of the way.


	3. Show Time

Elliott sighed, staring at the bright and large screens. He pouted while everyone else smiled, something rare. “Aw, I’m never on a team with you.”

Alex gave his shoulder a pat. “Don’t worry, we’ll both do fine.”

“Well duh, but I’m tired of being with all these losers,” Mirage exaggerated a bit too loudly. This earned him a warning look from both Lifeline and Bangalore, scary.

“There will be plenty of good fights.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” he whined.

“Then stop worrying. You need to clear your head, as do I. The games are tomorrow,” Bloodhound spoke authoritatively.

The was the bad thing about the games wasn’t it? Well, other than it being an all-out blood sport. Squads were handpicked and assigned by the unknown person in charge of the Apex Games, and the competitors didn’t find out who they’d be working with until the morning before the games. It didn’t do much good for long thought out strategy, but it did do good for drama and views. 

Elliott was about to say something else, but Bloodhound had vanished into a group with Wraith and Gibraltar. The superstar sighed, turning to look toward Bangalore and Lifeline who continued to give him judging looks. Way to go Witt, he thought, now they’ll be suspicious all day tomorrow. 

The next morning, as the sun rose, all of the legends were hurried into the dropship. It was cramped, but even so, they all conversed and joked with each other. Elliott lingered near Alex, who paid him no mind. The tracker was rather busy, silent, but focused on ritual. He didn’t mind the lack of attention from Alex since their company was still to be enjoyed.

Electric whirring sounded the opening of the dropship’s doors, and squads began to jump as soon as they thought it was safe. Elliot continued to stay near Alex, patiently waiting to be acknowledged in some way. 

“Mirage hustle up!” Bangalore shouted from the doors of the ship, Lifeline already next to her as they prepared to jump. There was a beat as Elliot glanced toward them and away from Alex, who still had ignored him. Bangalore looked at Mirage, impatient.

Elliott sighed, he supposed it was time to be Mirage now, not just Elliott. “Coming!” He responded as cheery as he could, finally leaving Bloodhound’s side. 

“You good?” Bangalore asked, her voice quieting and her eyebrows raising.

“Always! Come on, let’s do this!” Mirage responded, losing the hesitancy and insecurity that he had when he knew he was just Elliott.

“Alright, we’re dropping!” She announced.

The squad jumped from the ship, leaving less than half of the squads still on board. As Mirage’s boots hit the sandy ground he seemed to forget about what happened on the ship, regaining his confidence and focus. However, back on board, Bloodhound gave a somewhat distracted sigh of relief.

“Come on, brother. We’re dropping soon,” Gibraltar said as he walked past, giving Bloodhound a pat on the back. Wraith soon followed behind him, stopping momentarily at Alex’s side.

“You ignored him,” she stated the obvious.

Alex nodded. “It was necessary. His dependency will kill him.”

“Hey, better for us,” Wraith said, and with that statement she moved away.

The last squad left on the ship, the three competitors gathered at the ship’s doors. They stared out at the land passing under them, grounding themselves. At the last possible moment, they jumped.

As half the squads remained, Bloodhound found themself in a rather undesirable situation. Their only weapon was a knife, barley helpful against a gun no matter how skilled they were. With no squadmates left, Bloodhound did their best to remain vigilant. They trusted in the Allfather, and supposed they’d be okay no matter the outcome of this game. 

Perhaps dying in the Apex Games could be fun. After all, they’d never died during the games yet. Bloodhound heard it felt ticklish, that one would almost want to laugh at the feeling of waking up again. Their thoughts of dying this match were quickly interrupted as the doors of the small building slid open and then slammed shut. Bloodhound crouched down in a corner, remaining silent. 

Lifeline ran past them and out of the building, and soon after, the doors opened again. This time the doors didn’t shut, as if this person were careless. The mystery person had audible footsteps, yet they weren’t too heavy. They seemed to be in much less of a rush, despite the borders of the game growing smaller by the second. A bit of yellow around the corner, and then a tanned face.

Mirage looked around for a moment, Wingman pointing at various parts of the room before landing on Bloodhound. Alex sighed, at least death at the hands of someone else would be more honourable than dying from being out of bounds for too long. Mirage looked confused for a moment, their finger faltering over the Wingman’s trigger. 

“Al… Bloodhound, we meet again,” Mirage addressed, putting on a show. Bloodhound remained silent, rolling their eyes behind their mask. “No words? I know my appearance can be a bit… stunning, but really you’re too kind.” The tone in his voice remained cocky, and held a tease to it at the same time. Bloodhound was sure there would be a joke about this after the games. 

“Fate did not bless me today,” Bloodhound finally spoke up, their voice coming across assertively. As much as they would’ve liked to believe the cameras were only on the action, they knew their failure was being broadcasted to millions of people. They needed Mirage to kill them. If he slipped up another time, pretended to miss their shots, the aftermath of the games would never be the same for the both of them. Not playing by the rules of the Apex Games could be fatal, and there would be no revivals.

“What? My appearance isn’t a blessing?” Mirage questioned, pausing for some sort of dramatic pause. “Ah well… guess my hair’s a bit of a mess.” He reached up, tossing his hair as if fixing it.

Behind their mask, Bloodhound’s eyes narrowed. It was better for Mirage to hurry up than awkwardly stall forever. What did he think he was doing? “You seem tense, but this was written in fate,” they pointed out, attempting to push Mirage toward the kill. 

“Nervous? Nah… I don’t- I don’t get nervous.”

Bloodhound sighed, standing up. They grabbed Mirage’s wrists, forcing them closer; the Wingman’s barrel now pressed against Bloodhound’s chest. “You should not hesitate, andskoti. Fate is impatient.”

“I’m not hesitating.”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

“You’ve been bamboozled,” Mirage said, flashing a smug look before disappearing. There was a click of a gun and suddenly Mirage was on Bloodhound’s left. Bloodhound gave a frustrated noise; how had they fallen so easily for a decoy? 

“Clever.”

“I know.”

A gunshot, and Alex found themself awaking with a gasp for air. They sat up, back  straight as a board, cool sheets pooling around their naked waist. Everything felt tingly, as if all their limbs had fallen asleep. The tingling sensation was a relief, it hid the pain in their neck from what must’ve been a bullet wound. 

Alex squinted through darkness, a bright screen lighting up not far from the bed they were in. It projected views of the Apex Arena, the camera panning over an empty battlefield before finally landing on a familiar figure. 

Cheering and waving a gun around like a madman, was Mirage. Next to him Lifeline rolled her eyes, but even she was smiling in glee at their squad’s apparent victory. Bangalore seemed to be missing, it was likely she hadn’t made it as far as they had, but even so Alex was sure she was proud of her team.

Alex sighed quietly, averting their gaze from the screen and laying back down. They were happy for Elliott, it was his first win in some time now, and they were sure they’d hear lots of stories from him. Of course, the stories would be told with such excitement they couldn’t be understood, but Alex didn’t care about that. They were always pleased enough just seeing Elliott’s million dollar smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter implies that Mirage has run into Bloodhound in a previous game and spared them, likely by missing his shots on purpose.
> 
> Andskoti- meaning devil in Icelandic (according to Icelandic Online and Bloodhound’s wiki page, if you fluently speak the language feel free to fact check me)
> 
> Also feel free to ask me about what I think happens when an Apex competitor dies during the games because I have a lot of ideas about that
> 
> (Haha, can you tell I don't write action scenes a lot?)


	4. Trickster

“What do you mean that's not how it happened? It is too!”

“Unfortunately you were the only one who saw it that way.”

“That can't be it. Hey Ajay!” Elliot glanced over to the medic with a hopeful look.

“Don't ya go bringing me into this now. Ya arguments always cause trouble,” She answered before going back to her conversation with Pathfinder. 

“Only a little,” he quietly whined. 

Alex chuckled, eyes secretly glittering with unrequited mischief behind dark glasses. “Perhaps I should tell the story to you.”

“No way. I already know what happens.”

“Do you?” Alex questioned, eyebrows lifting.

“Mhm! You'll tell the story your way and then you’ll… uh, w-well, I'm sure there's a catch in there somewhere.”

Alex was glad the scarf they wore hid the upward quirk of their lips. “If there was a catch I would let you know.”

“But then there wouldn't be one.”

“That was the point.”

Elliott whined, some amount of curiosity screaming at him. “Ugh… Tell me the story then. Please?”

“Of course. I'll start with the part where you are obviously very intoxicated.”

“Very what? Haha no thanks. I think, I uh, think I change my mind. No one needs to hear that.”

“We can go somewhere else if you're worried.”

“Nah it's cool. I'm busy and all… training ya know?”

“Training,” they replied, having a hard time hiding the smile in their voice.

“Yeah. So I'll just go and take care of that now… and I'll see you later?” Elliott seemed nervous. It was as if he felt like he was asking for permission to leave Alex's side; which was far from the case.

If anything Alex likely hadn't even realized what Elliott was really asking for. Yet he felt some sort of obligation to protect them and their identity. This would be his reason for asking permission, and though thoughtful, Alex would've thought it totally unnecessary.

Alex gave a barely noticeable nod, and a questioning look which couldn't be seen behind glasses and scarf. Elliott smiled, as if grinning the nerves away, and trotted off to do what he claimed was training. However, a certain tracker was far from believing that story and they curiously followed behind the super star for some time.

“Huh, you really are the curious type,” Elliott spoke up, suddenly behind them.

Alex glanced from one Elliott to the other, suddenly not liking this so much. They were a great hunter, very skilled, but Elliott's decoys never failed to trick them. Something about him was just so… distracting that it never ceased to mess with Alex's focus. 

“Yeah, that's what I was thinking too,” yet another Elliott spoke. This one was on their right, and looked just like the other two.

Alex felt their face turning red from embarrassment and confusion. “Stop.”

“Really?” A new Elliot.

“We're just having fun.” Yet another.

“Besides, you're totally into it.” Hopefully this would be the last Elliott to appear. 

“Annoyance isn't something you can be into,” Alex managed to reply.

Simultaneously, the Elliotts pouted. “Aw, you're no fun,” the first Elliott, whom Alex had originally followed, replied.

“Which of you is Elliott?”

“We all are, but… maybe if you ask a question-”

“No. There is not enough time.”

“There’s enough time to follow me around though. Not even one question?”

“I believe I already asked one, and you did not answer.”

“Yeah but he answered,” this particular Elliott gestured toward another. 

Alex hummed, glancing between all of the Elliotts. All of them were identical to the point it was unnerving, but surely something was different. Perhaps they just needed to look harder and they'd uncover the real Elliott Witt eventually. 

Each Elliott had the same caramel skin and messy hair. Even that tiny scar was on each of them; which Alex thought really helped to define his cheekbones. Yet the Elliott directly in front of them seemed more real. Maybe it was his eyes and the particular sparkle they had compared to the eyes of the other Elliotts.

Alex was so certain of their decision that they reached out to this Elliott, and as soon as they did the others disappeared. They smiled smugly, having scared him out of his concentration by simply placing a hand on his shoulder. Such a small action, yet it had caused Elliott to quickly and accidentally give up his hiding place.

“How'd you do that so fast? Like a… like a psychic or something.”

Alex wasn't sure that was the right word for what Elliott was trying to describe, but they wouldn't deny him a reply just because of something silly like that. “It was easy. Being the hunter I-” Elliott interrupted Alex's mostly smooth lie.

“Nuh uh, I saw that. You were fast, but slower than i thought you'd be. I just wanna know one teeny secret. Please?”

“Your eyes had life to them. You looked at me stranger than the others.”

“St-strange? Well I didn't mean to do that if it's what I do. It doesn't happen all the time, right? Damn, it's probably happened every time I've seen you.”

“It’s not a bad strange. Just different than what I have seen before.”

“Oh. Oh good, that's a relief. You really had me worried for a second there, pal,” Elliott said with a sigh, ignoring the way his own heart squeezed. He hadn't exactly figured out what the squeeze meant yet; he just knew that it wasn't the best feeling in the world.

“Don't worry, I would tell you. The look was admirably kind.”

“Admirably?” Elliott questioned. Alex nodded silently and that was all it took for him to grin from ear to ear. Again there was that squeezing from his heart, but this time he was too happy to notice the pain.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story in question is likely the story of how Mirage and Bloodhound met. Elliott probably thought he was being cool, and Bloodhound probably thought he was embarrassing himself in front of all the legends.  
> This story won't remain secret to the readers forever


	5. Red-eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments! I really enjoy reading them and getting feedback

The Apex Compound was cool, the heating broken and likely never to be repaired. Nobody knew who was in charge of the games exactly, but everyone was glad whomever it was had been nice enough to provide living space for the competitors as needed. Lots of the competitors went home when they could, but another portion of them didn’t have homes or know how to get back to them. That’s why Alex felt extremely alone.

They had a home, they knew how to get back, but they just felt like they couldn’t. They’d lost; How would they tell that to their sister? She’d want Alex to stay back home after hearing that, no doubt about it, and Alex just wasn’t ready to leave the games. There was still work to do, the Allfather willed it.

The most hesitant they’d ever remembered being, Alex knocked on a boring grey door. The door was so out of character for the person that should be behind it, they wondered how Elliott hadn’t yet found a way to turn the grey to a rainbow.

“A second!” A struggled reply came from the opposing side of the door. Alex didn’t wait very long as the door swung open so quickly that it hit a wall and bounced back to being half-closed. “Haha oops.” Elliott stood there, blushing from embarrassment and half covered by the door. It was interesting to Alex how someone with seemingly no shame could be so embarrassed.

“You seem busy,” Alex commented, noticing Elliott’s unusually disheveled appearance.

“Yeah I’m uh, packing up actually. Gotta get out of here before the plane leaves, hopefully.”

“Oh.” For once Alex felt completely stupid. Elliott always leaves to visit his mom when he can; how did they never notice before?

“Mhm! Going to see my mom. I worry about her, ya know? She’s scarily capable, but I feel bad leaving her alone all the time.” There was a pause, it felt almost awkward, but maybe that was just him. “Anyway, did you um did you need something?” Elliott hated to sound rude. He loved Alex’s presence, but didn’t like the feeling of time constraints.

“No, I was looking to see who was still here,” Alex lied. They wouldn’t say they really needed Elliott’s presence, but they did like to have it.

“Oh yeah… you never leave do you?”

“It’s better if I stay here. I have no reason to leave.”

“Not even anyone you wanna see? Nobody back home that when you look at them you just,” he paused for some sort of dramatic sigh, “you just wanna fall into their arms and take a nap together…”

“A sister, but nobody like that. It sounds like you were just daydreaming.”

“What? I’d never! But… why don’t you see your sister then?”

“She takes care of herself. I lack a reason to be with her.”

“Yeah… I thought that about my brothers too,” Elliott stated. Alex didn’t need to ask to know what that meant. Elliott had lost his brothers, and Alex wasn’t sure it was their business to know. However, Elliott didn’t let them think about it too long. “I know! You should come home with me! I’m sure my mom wouldn’t mind. She used to like when I brought friends over and-”

Even with the darkened glasses and the scarf, Elliott could see Alex’s expression, or maybe he just read them that well. Alex was somewhat disheartened, and bored. While they would have loved to spend more time with Elliott, they weren’t going to infringe on his time with family just to save their own loneliness

“I can’t go, something tells me I should stay here. I apologize, Elliott.”

“Oh… yeah… it’s- it’s cool anyhow. I’ll just see you when I get back.”

Alex frowned, the hurt expression and the emotions that the superstar radiated were almost too much for them. “You will, it’s fated.” Alex knew Elliott probably would’ve felt a lot better about it with a promise, but they didn’t think promises mattered when fate came into play.

“I’ll see you soon buddy. Count on hearing about some new adventures when I get back.” Elliott’s eyes held a childlike light to them, one that wasn’t uncommon. Despite the childish light, he felt that squeeze in his heart again. This time it’s strength seemed doubled, and it made him feel nauseous.

Alex nodded, and Elliott moved to close the door. He was likely going to finish packing his bags and leave without Alex seeing him again for some time. Maybe they wouldn’t even see him again until the next season of the games; Alex found this outcome especially likely considering the sour notes to the conversation’s end.

“Wait,” Alex spoke up just before the door closed. Maybe cheating fate just this once wouldn’t be so bad. Elliott quickly stopped the door, as if he’d hoped the tracker would say something else. “Tell your mother I said ‘hello’.”

“From who?” Elliott questioned as if the answer had multiple possibilities.

In fact there were multiple answers, and they replied confidently. “From Alex, a close friend.”

Elliott smiled. “I’ll tell her- I’ll tell her that Alex says hi.”

“Thank you.”

Elliott closed the door, and Alex turned away to leave. They sighed, heading to their room and preparing to be alone for some time. This time Alex was the one who felt the squeezing of their heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s my idea that it’s a big deal for Alex to have answered the way they did when they could’ve just said Bloodhound and it perhaps would’ve been easier. Their answer of their name shows that they’re willing to get close with Elliott.
> 
> (This chapter's title is about the sort of flight on which a person may not expect to get a lot of sleep. The definition states that this is due to time of departure or arrival, but I'm using it to allude more to Elliott's thoughts keeping him awake)


	6. Strawberry

“Mom?” Elliott called through the house as he stepped inside, dragging bags behind him,

“Wait there just a sec!” The familiarly warm voice replied back.

Standing alone in the doorway gave Elliott time to think, and it was time he wasn’t sure he wanted. The house was still way too small for the original amount of people that had lived in it, and even though most of those people were gone, it remained an organized mess. Elliott could accept that his brothers were missing, and that his dad had been somewhat of an asshole, but he wasn’t sure he’d ever understand how his mother was still standing upright on both feet as if none of it happened. 

He knew she was upset about it, and despite the acceptance so was he, but she just seemed to ignore her disparity so much better than he could. Elliott had always admired and looked up to his mother. She was still graceful and youthful, and somehow she could still put up with her youngest son.

“Alright! Come on in now.”

And as he always had, Elliott listened to his mother. Walking into the tiny living room, he was greeted with the familiar sight of his mother; Ms. Elaine Witt, whose hair had only just begun to grey and whose face was almost always covered in oil stains. There was another sight in the room, this one not completely unfamiliar, but not too common either. A squarish cake, certainly big enough for more than two people, and topped with strawberries sat atop a coffee table (which had likely been cleared just for this purpose).

“No way! Is that-?” His eyes were wide with childish delight, a grin crossing his face.

“Your favourite. I heard you won the games this season. I’m so proud of you, Elliott,” Ms. Witt said. She hugged her son joyfully; she always held up fine on her own, but being alone all the time got… well, lonely. 

Honestly Elliott almost collapsed in his mother’s arms. He’d really needed a hug for a while, and though it sometimes seemed like he felt no shame, he would’ve felt awkward asking for one from Alex before he left. His mother’s parental instincts kicked in and she pulled away from him a bit, looking at him empathetic.

“But… you should get some rest. You must be tired. The cake isn’t going anywhere, I promise.”

“Huh? Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you a.. alo- alone,” Elliott stated, stumbling over words because he wasn’t courageous enough to mention his fears. Of course he worried he could lose his mother if he left her alone too long, even if the idea was silly. He didn’t want to lose her like he’d lost the rest of his family.

“I’m sure, mijo. You really need it, it’s important to get the right amount of sleep. I’ve always made sure you knew that. Now then, off to bed!” She sang, nudging Elliott in the direction of his room.

Eventually Elliott stopped protesting against not going to sleep, and he walked tiredly to his room. It felt so empty when he wasn’t sharing it with three other people, much like the house. He stared up at the ceiling, trying to focus on going to sleep, but he just couldn’t. He sighed, tossing in his bed and cuddling a stuffed bear just a bit closer. 

Mr. Cuddle-bear had always been there when Elliott was a kid, but maybe a live person would’ve been better. Not that he was thinking of anyone specifically, at least he was telling himself that. It seemed now that he was supposed to be chilling out, his heart wouldn’t stop racing.

Alex’s face kept popping up in his head, what he could remember of it that was. He wished he’d seen it just before he left, but of course he’d been the one to convince them to walk around the Apex Compound in glasses and a scarf. Whenever he decided the image of their face had been too distorted, he just saw that stupid mask. 

The mask was cool and all, but not as satisfying as seeing Alex’s face. If anything, only being able to imagine the mask was frustrating. It was like Elliott was just meeting Alex for the first time, and he was once again eager to see the mystery person’s facial features. He groaned with the frustration of the mystery which he knew the answer to, but just couldn’t comprehend at the moment. 

The squeezing in his heart returned, and he wondered how he could ever get any good sleep like this. Elliott wasn’t sure how much longer he could stand this feeling. If a certain tracker kept plaguing his mind, he didn’t think he’d be able to stay with his mom much longer. Continuing his staring contest with the bland popcorn ceilings, Elliott tried to block out the ever persistent and exasperating thoughts of Alex. 

He decided it would’ve been so much better if Alex had come along, maybe then he could have a third person to share cake with in the morning. If only he’d actually tried to convince them to come along. Maybe then they’d take note of how often Elliot found himself ruminating of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine Elliott’s mama being a really tiny woman, and all her sons just grew up to be way taller than her.
> 
> The next chapter will return more focus back to Bloodhound/Alex and eventually focus on both Alex and Elliott at the same time


	7. Ink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait, but I've had a crazy couple months and I'm finally back with a new chapter!  
> It's a bit short, but hopefully not garbage

Alex chewed on their bottom lip, attempting to write a letter. There was almost no reason to do such a thing anymore, but they enjoyed pen on paper over holographic technologies. Ink just seemed to glide so smoothly over a sheet of paper, and the black ink was always so shiny too. 

Now then, what could they write to their sister? Nothing too formal, certainly, but then again Alex felt like there should be some formality. Their sister was someone they cared enough about to be formal with, she wasn’t just any person. They knew their sister was very understanding too, but what if this was the one time she wasn’t?

Alex sighed, putting the pen back down and leaning back against the bed’s cold metal headboard. They’d been trying to write this letter for a week now, and it only seemed to be getting more difficult the longer they tried to think of the right words. They were protective over their sister; she deserved the best didn't she?

Whenever Alex wasn't trying to write the letter they were mostly hiding in their room. They could've gone out, they were sure Anita or Pathfinder were still around, but they became fearful of someone knowing their appearance. If someone found out who they were anything could happen, anything could be said, and they weren't exactly ready to deal with all that. The mystery of Bloodhound was in place for a reason, and Alex was going to keep it that way for as long as they could.

However, they did wish they could feel the wind against their face again. Standing on top of high peaks while barrels of wind rolled through, that’s what Alex wanted to be doing. Instead they hid in their room. Because of what? A fear? Alex thought it was stupid, and it had been their own decision not to leave the room until necessary. 

They were sure if Elliott was around they wouldn’t have made such a silly choice. Because then Elliott wouldn’t get to see their face, and they hated listening to him complain. Alex knew he only cared, but sometimes it could be annoying. They were certain they functioned just fine on their own. 

“Hey Hound!” a voice called.

Their head perked up, their blue-eyed gaze shifting toward the door. Their eyebrows furrowed. Certainly it wasn’t who they thought it was, but then again… checking to make sure would give them a nice break from that pesky letter.

“A moment,” Alex replied, their voice steady but loud enough to be heard through the closed door. Taking another moment, they continued to gaze at the door. Maybe just this once, in their moment of fear, the Allfather could bless them to see through the door.

After a few seconds, the voice got impatient, and Alex realized it was pointless to try and abuse the Allfather’s gifts for mundane tasks. Quickly they threw on something to cover their face, and opened the door. As soon as they saw the ‘I don't care’ tank top, they knew who was at the door without having to look up at her.

“Took you awhile, Champ. A few of us are going out for drinks. You should come along. Heard Pathfinder can actually get drunk,” Anita attempted to spice up the deal.

Bloodhound chuckled but shook their head. “I have a lot of work to do. Perhaps another day.”

“I guess if work’s your thing I won’t stop you. Think they’ll still be worried though.”

“About what?”

“Come on, it’s obvious. About you.”

“Tell them there’s nothing to worry about.”

“You guys hear that? They’re all good!” She called, to which a loud chorus of sighs came as a reply. Apparently more people had stayed after the games than Bloodhound originally thought. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Bloodhound replied, though uncertain what the thanks was for. Anita rolled her eyes, knowing well enough that the the Hound could sometimes be as socially clueless as Elliott.

“See ya around… Hound,” She chuckled, seemingly at her own rhyme, and left to meet up with the others.

Once again Alex found themself in their room with its droning silence. They gazed at the fractured beginnings of a letter, and then up at the ceiling. This repeated for a while until there was a rapid knocking at the door. 

They thought everyone had just left, so their suspicions got the best of them. They moved slowly toward the door as the knocking pattern repeated. Before they got a chance to even answer the door, it slammed open and banged against the wall. Alex stood in front of the doorframe wide-eyed and feeling exposed without something to hide themself in. 

“Alex!” Leather clad arms wrapped around them as they were hugged. Alex unmistakingly knew this had to be Elliott, the only person here with enough guts to hug them. They may have also memorized what his embrace felt like, not that it was by choice or anything. It’s easy to remember, especially if said hugger can barely ever keep his hands to himself and/or remain still. 

“Shh!” Alex hissed out, quickly shushing him. They pushed him back a bit and closed the door. “If I would’ve gotten caught then it would’ve been g-”

“Game over. I know! I just get excited sometimes. I respect your privacy, I pr-” Elliott began to stutter out.

“I know you promise. I’m glad you do,” Alex attempted to reassure him and even offered a small smile. 

“Yeah.” Elliott smiled back, but he looked somewhat like he was going to break down. Alex knew he was emotional, but they weren’t sure having a breakdown qualified as just being ‘emotional’.

“Elliott?”

“Aw man, I just forgot how good you looked,” He responded in some poor attempt at assuring Alex that his tears were just fine. 

Alex rolled their eyes. “I don’t-”

“Ah yeah just missed ya. Mhmm…”

“Are you sure you’re o-?”

“Peachy!” Elliott responded through tears, which seemed to be the happy sort so far.

Alex started to get annoyed that they could barely get a word in. “You were only gone for three days. I thought you said you wanted to spend time with your mother.”

“She sent me back!” He sounded a bit too cheery for that to have meant what Alex originally thought.

“Oh.”

“Mhm! She said um… she said that y-you should come back with me,” he suggested nervously, yet behind the nerves he was excited for Alex’s answer.

“I already told you.”

“Yeah but now my mama’s all interested in meeting you. I told her you said hello and everything!”

Alex sighed, finding themself going through all the same arguments in their head that they’d made before. Reasons as to why they shouldn’t spend time with Elliott while he was visiting his family. Reasons  why they shouldn’t get sidetracked and spend time with Elliott at all. They’d already lost one of those arguments so many times. How much longer could they keep up the other?

“I can't, Elliott, you know I can't,” Alex's face was kept void of the emotion they wanted to express, instead it looked almost blank.

“Then… then I'll just stay with you,” Elliott suggested.

“No. You need to be with your family. I am on my own often, I can handle it.”

“And you need to be with  _ your _ family, Alex. Seeing you just before the games isn't enough.” 

Bloodhound found their thoughts stopping in their tracks. It was bold, especially for Elliott.

“S-seeing me?” Bloodhound felt incredibly stupid, stuttering out words rather than being confident and calm.

“Yeah I mean… just hanging out with you and all? It's um… you're pretty cool,” Elliott laughed nervously, blushing and feeling like he was back in school. 

A small smile fell onto Alex's lips. “Thank you, Elliott.”

“Yeah. Yeah, no problem.”

A beat of silence as Alex thought of how to bring up what they were about to say. They knew it would be awkward no matter how they said it, and supposed there was no point in delaying it. “As much as I appreciate it, I still want you to go home. By yourself.”

Elliott would be lying if he said that hadn't hurt. And just after he'd convinced himself to say some part of his feelings too. “Really…? I - I just mean, you're uh you're  sure, right?”

“I'm sure. I promise I'll still be here whenever you get back. And this time when the games come around… I'll try not to get  _ too _ focussed.” 

And for the first time, Alex saw Elliott lose the struggle to keep a frown away. “Alright. I'll see ya then.”

“Goodbye, Elliott.” Alex placed a hand on Elliott's arm, too nervous to hug him but too guilty to do nothing at all.

“See ya ‘hound.” 

And once the two were apart, that squeezing of hearts suddenly felt a lot less nice. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always purposely pick and choose the moments when I refer to Bloodhound as Bloodhound rather than their name. It’s symbolic and can change depending on who else is in the scene or Bloodhound’s thoughts and feelings during the scene (as well as other, usually minor, factors). My idea is that who the characters are in the arena may be completely different from who they are internally and outside the arena.

**Author's Note:**

> Bloodhound notes (sorta like a TLDR I guess, but way more unorganized):  
> Alex Akisson/Akisdottir (aka Bloodhound) has an afab body type but identifies as non-binary and prefers to present themself in a masculine or ambiguous way. They have shocking blue eyes, and are blind in their right (it was possibly scratched out as evidenced by the scar over it). They also have scars on their hands from hunting and work accidents. Their forearms have dark blue-ish green tattoos. Alex is likely from Iceland and they have a younger sister who sometimes acts like their mother. Their father and mother seem to be deceased, and Alex lives in some sort of poverty with their sister.
> 
> Brief Persona- Mostly serious, focused, playful side, reserved, calm, spiritual, wise, tends to be confident, insecure about appearance but proud of scar (specifically the one over their right eye as it references the Allfather), some competitive spirit but they're not in the games just to compete and kill
> 
> Brief Motive/Bio- Joined Apex Games after encountering the Allfather, likely earning guidance and putting it to use in their first game, originally hunted game to feed themself and their little sister, wanted to join games to earn more for sister, Allfather game concrete reason for Alex to join games which sister couldn’t deny, likely rivalry with Mirage considering they have been the spotlight of the games for the past four seasons (they won all of them boyos), doesn't care too much about the actual games, they win for family money and to find whatever it is the Allfather has sent them to find in the games (maybe an artifact or specific person)


End file.
